Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's address at the launch of projects pertaining to Pharma, education and connectivity in Una, Himachal Pradesh
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
How are you, the people of Una? How are you doing? Hope you are doing fine. I greet the land of Maa Chintpurni and the descendants of Guru Nanak Dev ji.
Friends,
Remembering Guru Nanak and the other Gurus and bowing at the feet of Maa Chintpurni, I am very happy today to present gifts worth thousands of crores of rupees to Himachal before Dhanteras and Deepawali. Diwali has come ahead of its time in Una, Himachal. Such a large number of our mothers and sisters in the form of goddesses have come to bless us. Your blessing is a huge responsibility and strength for all of us.
Brothers and sisters,
I have spent so much time here that whenever I come to Una, the past memories flash before my eyes. I have had the privilege of bowing my head before Maa Chintpurni Devi and getting her blessings several times. Who can forget the taste of sugarcane and ‘Gandyali’ here?
Friends,
While living in Himachal, I always thought that nature has blessed this Devbhoomi so much. There is so much here -- rivers, waterfalls, fertile land, fields, mountains and tourism -- but who would often regret some of the challenges here. I always thought that Himachal would be transformed the day when there would be better connectivity, industries would be set up and the children of Himachal would not have to leave their parents, friends and villages to go out of the state for their studies.
And see, today I have come with gifts for connectivity, educational institutions and industrialization. Today, the country's second bulk drug park has opened at Una. Friends, can there be any bigger gift? If Himachal, beset with so many problems and full of natural diversity, gets one of the three bulk drug parks being built in India. Could there be a bigger decision than this? This is the result of my love and dedication for Himachal, brothers.
Sometime back, I have had the privilege of flagging off India's fourth Vande Bharat train from Amb-Andaura to Delhi. Imagine my brothers! Himachal got the fourth Vande Bharat train ahead of several big cities in India. I know friends, there are many families across India who wish to go to the airport to see airplanes, forget about travelling in them. But if you ask about the people living in the hills of Himachal, there are people for several generations who have not seen a train or travelled in the train. Such conditions have existed here even after 75 years of independence. Forget about any ordinary train, today the most modern train of India came to Himachal and chugged off from here, friends.
The permanent building of Himachal's own IIIT has also been inaugurated today. These projects are a glimpse of the height at which the double engine government wants to see Himachal. These projects are especially going to give new wings to the dreams of the new generations of Himachal. Many congratulations to Una and to Himachal Pradesh for these projects.
Friends,
We all know that there is a difference between needs and hopes and aspirations. The earlier governments in Himachal and Delhi were indifferent in fulfilling your needs and they never cared about your hopes and aspirations. Himachal, its young generations and mothers and sisters here have suffered a lot.
But now the time has changed. Our government is not only fulfilling the needs of the people, but is working with full force to realize their hopes and aspirations. I remember the condition of Himachal as there was hardly any development work when I used to live here. There was disbelief all around, mountains of despair and doubts for the way forward. There was a huge gap in the way of the expectations of development. They never cared to fill these holes of development needs and abandoned them. Not only did we fill those holes, we are now firmly constructing new buildings in Himachal.
Friends,
There are so many countries of the world, including many states like Gujarat in India, which have provided facilities like rural roads, clean drinking water, toilets, modern hospitals, etc to their citizens in the last century itself. But there were some governments in India which made it difficult for common man to access these facilities. Our hilly areas have suffered a lot because of this. During my stay here, I have seen closely how our pregnant mothers and sisters faced so much difficulty in going to the hospital in the absence of roads and many elders dying even before they could reach the hospital.
Brothers and sisters,
The people living in the hills know that they are cut off from the rest of the world due to lack of rail connectivity. The outsiders can never imagine the challenges of availability of drinking water and tap water in a region which has abundant springs and flowing rivers.
The people who governed the state here for years were hardly bothered about the problems of the people of Himachal. Now today's new India is working rapidly on all these old challenges. The facilities which should have reached the people in the last century itself are now reaching the people.
But should we put a stop now? Tell me, friends. Should we be pleased just because so much has been done? Do we need to move forward or not? Do we need to grow fast or not? Who will do these things, brothers? You and I will do it together, brothers. We will provide the facilities of the 20th century and will also connect Himachal with the novelty of the 21st century.
Therefore, unprecedented development works are underway in Himachal today. Today, while rural roads are being constructed at double the speed in Himachal, on the other hand, broadband connectivity is also being provided to the Gram Panchayats at a faster rate. Today, while thousands of toilets are being built in Himachal, on the other hand, the electricity situation is being improved in every village. Today, on the one hand, drones are being used in Himachal to transport essential goods to the inaccessible areas, on the other hand, high speed trains like Vande Bharat from here to Delhi are also being run.
Today, on the one hand, a campaign is going on in Himachal to supply tap water, and on the other hand, all the services of the government are being delivered in villages through the Common Service Centers. We are not only fulfilling the needs of the people of the 20th century, but we are also delivering the modern facilities of the 21st century to the doorsteps of Himachal.
Friends,
Today, the foundation stone of a huge bulk drug park has been laid here in Haroli. As Jai Ram ji was telling a few days ago, work has also started on the Medical Device Park in Nalagarh-Baddi. Both these projects are going to illuminate the name of Himachal in the country as well as across the world. At present, the double engine government is investing about Rs 2,000 crore on this bulk drug park. In a small state like Himachal, 2,000 crore rupees for a project! More than 10,000 crore rupees are going to be invested in this field only in the near future. The investments worth thousands of crores of rupees will transform Una and Himachal. This will create thousands of employment and self-employment opportunities.
Friends,
The whole world has seen the power of medicines made in Himachal during the Corona period. The role of Himachal is going to increase further in making India the top in pharmaceutical production in the world. So far, we had to depend on foreign countries for most of the raw materials needed for medicines. When raw materials will be made in Himachal itself, medicines will be made in Himachal itself, then the pharmaceutical industry will also flourish and medicines will also become more affordable.
Today, our government is working to relieve the concerns of the poor by providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme and through Jan Aushadhi Kendras. This bulk drug park will further strengthen the campaign to provide affordable and better treatment to the poor and middle class families.
Friends,
The people of Himachal are aware that unless there is good connectivity, the pace of development cannot accelerate whether it is in the field of agriculture or industry. An example of how the earlier governments used to work is our Nangal Dam Talwara railway line. Forty years ago, the government in Delhi put a stamp of approval on a small railway line, made a file, got it signed and garnered votes in its name by fooling people. It has been more than 40 years and not a single bit of work has been done on the project. It remained incomplete for so many years. Now the work of this railway line is progressing at a faster rate after the formation of our government at the Center. Imagine, had this work been completed earlier, the people of Una would also have benefited.
Friends,
The double engine government is working relentlessly to expand and modernize the railway services in Himachal. Today work is progressing on three new rail projects in Himachal. Today, when the country is being connected with Made in India Vande Bharat trains, Himachal is also one of the leading states in the country in getting it. It will be easier to visit holy places like Naina Devi, Chintpurni, Jwala Devi, Kangra Devi, Shakti Peethas as well as Anandpur Sahib because of this Vande Bharat Express train. This is a double gift for a holy city like Una where descendants of Guru Nanak Dev Ji live.
This Vande Bharat train will further enhance the service that our government has done by opening the Kartarpur Corridor. Vande Bharat Express was already there for the ‘darshan’ of Maa Vaishno Devi, now the Shakti Peethas here are also being connected with this modern service. People working in other cities will also benefit from Vande Bharat Express.
Friends,
It has always been the dream of the youth of Himachal to get higher education institutions in their state for their studies. Even this aspiration of yours has been ignored in the past. We are changing the practices of the past. Floundering, suspending, straying and forgetting is not our way of working. We decide, resolve, fulfill and also show results. After all, what was the reason that the youth of Himachal were kept deprived of prestigious institutions of higher education for a long time? Why did the youth here have to go to neighboring states to study medicine, engineering, business management and even pharmacy?
Friends,
The earlier governments did not pay attention to all these things because they used to judge Himachal not by its potential but on the number of seats it represented in parliament. Therefore, Himachal had to wait for the double engine government for IIT, IIIT, IIM and AIIMS. Students will find it more convenient with the construction of the permanent building of IIIT in Una. The sons and daughters of Himachal graduating from these institutions will also strengthen the digital revolution in the state.
I remember you gave me the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of this IIIT building. I laid the foundation stone and today you have given me an opportunity for its inauguration as well. This is what transformation is all about. We lay the foundation stones  and also inaugurate the same, brothers. And this is how the double engine government works. Whatever resolution our government takes, it fulfills it also. I would also like to congratulate all the colleagues for completing the construction of the IIIT at a fast pace despite the constraints of Covid.
Friends,
It is our biggest priority today to hone the skills and potential of the youth. Therefore, institutions related to innovation and skills are being expanded all over the country. This is just the beginning for Himachal. The youth of Himachal have created new dimensions in the security of the country while being in the army. Now different types of skills will help them reach higher positions in the army as well. The double engine government is always with you for a developed Himachal.
Friends,
When the dreams are big and the resolutions are huge, it requires efforts of the same magnitude. Today this effort is visible everywhere in the double engine government. Therefore, I know that the people of Himachal have also decided to change the old custom. Have you decided or not? Now the double engine government will create a new history and the people of Himachal will create a new custom.
I believe that the golden period of Himachal's development is about to begin in the ‘Amrit Kaal’ of independence. This golden period will take Himachal to that height of development for which you have waited for decades. I once again congratulate you very much for all these projects. I wish you all the best. And I wish you all the very best for all the forthcoming important festivals.
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
Bharat Mata ki—Jai!
Thanks!
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.